Placemaking Week 2024: Full Schedule

5:00pm EDT

Early Arrival Registration & Socializing (5pm - 7pm)

Arriving on June 4th before the conference? Swing by and grab your badge, while having a convenient place to eat or meet people on your first night in town.

In our ongoing effort to support local businesses downtown, we'll be at Mt Vernon Marketplace. We're intentionally parking ourselves near TAPS brewing near the back of the market, in case you wish to purchase drinks or other casual style food. You might get lucky and meet other conference goers, and there are a handful of other bars and restaurants nearby too (some recommendations below) where you could continue your evening with new Placemaking Week friends.

The Owl Bar
Tio Pepe
San Pablo Street Tacos
Sotto Sopra
Blooms, Ash Bar or Coral Wig @ Hotel Ulysses
Allora
Topside or B-Side @Hotel Revival
The Brewers Art

Tuesday June 4, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Mt Vernon Marketplace

Registration

5:30pm EDT

TOUR: Bromo Arts District Walking Tour (Register Link in Description)

Sign up for a local walking tour with local favorite, Miller Productions!

Register and pay here in order to join the tour - space is limited.
Adding this to your Sched schedule does not register you for the tour.

In the heart of the city, the Bromo Arts District stands as a testament to the fusion of history, art, and urban vibrancy. Join this unique opportunity to delve into the rich tapestry of this dynamic district, revealing its historical and artistic significance through a curated walking tour. This immersive experience transcends conventional city tours, aiming to engage participants in a journey through the Bromo Arts District that goes beyond surface-level exploration. Participants will witness the evolution of the area, from its historical roots to its present-day role as a hub for artistic innovation. The tour will emphasize the importance of not only understanding the historical and artistic aspects of the Bromo Arts District but also appreciating the district's role in shaping the collective identity of the city. Discover the hidden stories and artistic expressions that define this unique urban space, and explore the potential of guided tours in fostering a deeper connection between citizens and the meaningful spaces within their city.

Meeting point will be at Mt Vernon Marketplace (520 Park Avenue), which is the early arrival and registration location. Tour will leave promptly at 5:30pm so don't be late!

Tuesday June 4, 2024 5:30pm - 7:30pm EDT

Tour

8:00am EDT

Registration and Information Desk (8am - 5pm)

When you arrive onsite to MICA's Fox Building and Brown Center you will be directed towards the designated registration area for Wednesday. Doors will open just after 8am so that you can pick up your conference badge (if you didn't the night before) before heading into the plenary session.

Please note: You need to have a badge to attend conference events and activities, and should wear it (or at least have it with you) at all times.

Wednesday June 5, 2024 8:00am - 5:00pm EDT
Maryland Institute College of Art - Brown Center & Fox Building

Registration

9:00am EDT

PLENARY: Welcome to Baltimore!

The plenary will start promptly at 9am with a live performance.

Join us for the Placemaking Week opening plenary, where the scene will be set for what placemaking in Baltimore is all about. This will include a welcome from Project for Public Spaces and the Neighborhood Design Center, conversations and presentations about Baltimore past and present, and a performance from Nia June to start the conference off right before a day of breakout sessions.

We are going to have a full house, so get close to your neighbor and don't leave any empty seats!

Host: Alanah Nichole Davis, Lead Reporter, Technical.ly

Spoken-Word Performance: Nia June

Welcome

Nate Storring, Executive Director, Project for Public Spaces
Jennifer Goold, Executive Director, Neighborhood Design Center

Couch Conversation: Baltimore—How Did We Get Here?

Dr. Lester Spence, Professor of Political Science & Africana Studies, Johns Hopkins University
Lisa Snowden-McCray (Interviewer), Editor in Chief, Baltimore Beat

A Message from Maryland DHCD Secretary Jacob R. Day

Couch Conversation: Community Placemaking through the Arts

Jaz Erenberg, Independent Community Artist & Muralist
Tonya Miller (Interviewer), Senior Advisor of Arts & Culture, City of Baltimore

Keynote: Building Public Space for Culture to Thrive

Brittany Young, Founder & CEO, B-360

Conclusion

Leadership from the Neighborhood Design Center and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)

Wednesday June 5, 2024 9:00am - 10:45am EDT
MICA - Brown Center, Falvey Hall

Plenary

10:45am EDT

Break

Wednesday June 5, 2024 10:45am - 11:15am EDT
MICA - Brown Center

Break

11:15am EDT

WORKSHOP: The Social Gravity of Joy

The JoyBox is a neighborhood-rooted exchange and an invitation to build collective memories of joy. Standing 4’ tall, 3’x3’ wide, made of a refurbished medicine cabinet, and laid with colorful vinyl and interactive panels, the JoyBox sits on a sidewalk corner as a beacon of colorful disruption. Here, a neighbor can find something inside the box that brings them joy and leave something behind that might spark joy in another, continuing the ever-flowing exchange.

In this workshop, participants will explore the JoyBox and learn how joy can be a tool in collective resilience. As a pop-up installation, the JoyBox is designed to challenge the built environment and spark a culture of reciprocity amongst neighbors in a way that feels good. Connections are made through real-time collisions between neighbors who are drawn to the JoyBox, as well as through the slow and quiet magic of seeing the JoyBox transform as neighbors contribute asynchronously over time. As our social fabric is woven, tethered by the powerful gravity of joy, we are able to lay the foundation for a sense of place and ultimately, build collective capacity.

While my work is rooted in joy, this concept can take many different shapes (trading rocks or books or pantry items or recipes or art) depending on the needs and gifts of the community. This session is designed for those seeking tools to activate their neighborhood starting with a small-scale, creative project.

Speakers

Hailey Jordan

Information Designer, Kings Imagination Co.

Wednesday June 5, 2024 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 310 (3rd Floor)

Hands-On Workshop

11:15am EDT

PANEL: Case studies from Alumni of MICA’s MFA in Community Arts and Community Art Collaborative Programs

In this session, alumni, faculty, and staff of the MFA in Community Arts and Community Art Collaborative programs will discuss a selection of place-based, community-engaged projects in Baltimore City and beyond. Presenters will share best practices and lessons learned through selected projects which engaged participants as leaders, centered collaborative design processes, and archived individual and community histories.

The MFA in Community Arts program prepares artists to utilize their artmaking as a means of civic, youth, and community development, activism and education. The program provides students with a social justice and critical pedagogy framework as a theoretical and practical foundation for working in and with the greater Baltimore community as artist, scholar, and neighbor. An investigation into one’s self, one’s art practice, one’s connection to others, to the city of Baltimore, and global community is centered in the duration of the two-year experience, and beyond. Students that attend the MFA in Community Arts Program are expected to provide quality arts workshops infused with justice, care, and creative engagement. Through the program, students assist community members with nurturing their own creative identity, and the communities, in turn, inspire the students' own creative expression.

For over two decades, several programs at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) have offered opportunities for community-engaged, place-based artmaking in Baltimore City. The MFA in Community Arts Program and the Community Arts Collaborative Program offer two distinct points of entry for artists to connect deeply with Baltimore.

Speakers

Hannah Brancato

Artist and Educator, Freelance

Hannah Brancato (she/her) is an artist and educator based in Baltimore. She is co-founder of FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, an art and organizing collective that creates creative interventions to disrupt rape culture. Founded in 2010 by and for survivors, FORCE is nationally known... Read More →

Christopher Johnson

Artist, kolpeace llc

Genifer Fraser

Jubilee Program Manager, Jubilee Arts

Sara Kaltwasser

Assistant Director of Community Arts, Maryland Institute College of Art

Susan Tuberville

Program Manager, Community Art Collaborative, Maryland Institute College of Art

Unique Robinson

Director, MFA Community Arts, Maryland Institute College of Art

Wednesday June 5, 2024 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 420 (4th Floor)

Panel

11:15am EDT

PANEL: Crafting the Commons: Recent Placemaking Initiatives with MICA Social Design

What defines the possibilities of a society? What establishes those limits, beyond which change is impossible? Besides habits, laws, customs, economic systems and other disembodied forces, the arrangement of human activities in physical space has a decisive impact. Yet, how do we proceed? As designers, artists, teachers, students – citizens - what are we supposed to do? And how do we learn to speculate creatively, in a conjectural way? We would like to offer the one-to-one as an ethical premise for the work, for practice and for pedagogy, while seeking an extension of two preoccupations: engagement and making. This panel is a conversation around recent place-based and site-specific initiatives at MICA Social Design. From high-school design-build projects, to toolkits for equity-based school leaders, to collaboration with a consortium of community land trusts, we offer an expanded view of placemaking in practice in the City of Baltimore. In our work, we engage with reality: actual people; authentic situations; materiality. This does not necessarily mean solely fabricating an object or building a building. We are also deeply invested in the building of a conversation, or a relationship…and the understanding that any making is part of a social, economic, political system. Work at the scale of one-to-one is inherently relational; it offers the promise of reflecting upon the work as opposed to merely thinking about it, increasing the capacity to impact culture. This coupling of projection and reflection allows for work to yield policy. Design is not a way to distance ourselves from the arbitrary forces that shape the contemporary landscape, but a way to re-imagine them. As a graduate program focused on co-operative structures and the ethics of working-together, we will strive to show how we model this in how we organize and operate as a (temporary) collective.

Speakers

Dr. Tracy Rone

Assistant Dean, Research & Community Partnerships, School of Education & Urban Studies, Morgan State University

Lisa Bleich

Community Organizer, Wildseed Ecosystem

Dejia Danhi

Design Research, Ignite Design group

Dai Danhi is three things: an artist, athlete, and connector. They uproot systems that prevent upholding accountability in community care through Design Research. Their relentless attitude toward prioritizing community care translates into how they collaborate with clients. Their... Read More →

Ana Mengote Baluca

Faculty, Social Design, Maryland Institute College of Art

Ana is a social designer who creates to explore the world. Her work is grounded at the intersection of community-building and creative problem-solving. She uses design as a medium to weave culture and history. She recently founded her own social innovation design lab - Sinosinno Design... Read More →

Wednesday June 5, 2024 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 220 (2nd Floor)

Panel

11:15am EDT

PANEL: Soup to Nuts: Artists and City Officials Teaming up to Activate a Public Space

In this session, a group of artists, designers, and city officials will discuss the full gambit of what it takes to activate a public space together — from community engagement, to finding political will and funding, to space design and choosing furnishings, to engaging artists for offering programs, to keeping it clean and safe, to handling promotion and marketing, to documentation and data tracking. Plus everything in between. Many people, including city and corporate leaders, want more vibrant public spaces in their cities and understand the importance of active, engaging, welcoming, and art-filled public spaces in supporting stronger communities of all sizes. People now see the WHY of doing this. Our workshop -— led by the team that worked on SPARK Monument Circle in Downtown Indianapolis — will focus on the details of HOW to do so — with thoughts on WHERE and WHEN as well. We’ll also talk about WHO is vital to involve in making it happen. SPARK on Monument Circle is a major effort to turn an underutilized civic space in the heart of our city into a large pop-up park. This work began in 2015 with an NEA Our Town grant. That process led to multiple smaller iterations of the project before the City — with solid support from its Capital Improvement Board (which supports tourism in our City) — made a major investment and closed a large section of street on the Circle in 2023. Why is this an important topic? Now, more than ever, public places need to be optimized to be as beneficial as possible to all citizens who visit and enjoy them. These spaces can—and should—serve as our civic commons. We’ll talk about some of these key outcomes of creating welcoming, enjoyable, respectful, comfortable, and active public places.

Speakers

Jim Walker

executive director, Big Car Collaborative/Spark Placemaking

Jim Walker is co-founder of the Indianapolis-based arts organization, Big Car Collaborative. He serves as lead artist on Spark, Big Car’s program activating public spaces. He co-leads work on one block where Big Car owns 22 properties — including affordable artist homes and a... Read More →

Rusty Carr

CEO, The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis

Shauta Marsh

Co-founder, Big Car Collaborative

Courtney Rissman

Director of Events and Placemaking, Downtown Indy, Inc.

Danica Liongson

Landscape Designer, Merritt Chase

Wednesday June 5, 2024 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 210 (2nd Floor)

Panel

11:15am EDT

PANEL: The State of/and Traffic Calming Art in Baltimore & the U.S.

The State of/and Traffic Calming Art in the U.S. panel will feature experts from across the placemaking and traffic engineering sectors discussing the evidence-based public health and cultural benefits of traffic calming pavement art; and the current state of debate within public agencies over the design and regulation these joyful, life-saving works of public art infrastructure. Increasingly across the US and worldwide public art and placemaking projects are being leveraged to activate public spaces, promote economic growth in main streets and downtown areas, and support Vision Zero solutions for improving safety for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and people who rely on bicycles for transportation. Asphalt art such as street murals, art crosswalks, and wayfinding trails help to show that public spaces are for all people, not just moving cars fast or so called “free” parking. While numerous communities are embracing asphalt art for its low-cost traffic calming and place-centered cultural benefits, some cities are unsure if they should permit the work due to regulatory headwinds, historical engineering biases, and/or technical uncertainties such as ADA compliance and artwork durability. This panel will feature creative transportation safety practitioners sharing precedent projects and addressing the most pressing questions around traffic calming art.

Speakers

Mike Lydon

Principal, Street Plans

Graham Coreil-Allen

Founding Principal & Public Artist, Graham Projects

Graham Coreil-Allen is a public artist making cities more inclusive and livable through public art, placemaking, and civic engagement. Building on his background in public art, urban design, and neighborhood advocacy, Coreil-Allen produces participatory projects and leads social initiatives... Read More →

Graham Young

Project Manager, Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Infrastructure Development

Quinton Batts

Baltimore Project Manager, Rails to Trails Conservancy

Shayna Rose

Toward Zero Manager, Baltimore City DOT

Wednesday June 5, 2024 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
MICA - Brown Center, Lecture Hall (3rd Floor)

Panel

11:15am EDT

PANEL: What Could a Non-Sexist Baltimore Look Like?

Curator and MFA CP Alum Ashley Molese will host a presentation and workshop with New York-based architect and urban designer Lizzie MacWillie. In 1980, urban historian Dolores Hayden published an essay called “What Would a Non-Sexist City Be Like?” In it, she describes the friction that occurred as women increasingly entered the professional workforce despite the fact that American homes and neighborhoods were designed to confine women to the domestic realm. Working with rural and urban community organizers and neighborhood leaders across Texas, most if not all who have been women of color, led MacWillie to revisit the idea of the non-sexist city. Women are not only responsible for the care of their home, but their care of their entire communities. This project asked folks to consider what a non-sexist city might look like today by recognizing that a truly equitable and non-sexist city cannot happen without economic and social transformation that addresses gender, race, class, and more. Imagining an intersectional approach to design could yield a radical rethinking of the home, the neighborhood, the city and the soft and hard infrastructure that support it all.

Speakers

Ashley Molese

Curator, AMO Curatorial LLC

Lizzie MacWillie

Architect, buildingcommunityWORKSHOP

Wednesday June 5, 2024 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 320 (3rd Floor)

Panel

11:15am EDT

SHORT TALKS: Living with the Land: Resilience, Green Space & Fresh Food

This Short Talk session will feature presentations that focus on connecting to the environment (eg. resilience, green space, food access).

Short Talks are moderated lighting round sessions with multiple short presentations, featuring presenters who will be speaking on a related topic. They are a great way to hear a range of cases, geographies, perspectives and sub-topics within one space! Short Talks are also being held in our largest venue, so they are good sessions to be in if you want some space from the crowd.

Presentation titles and speakers:

Zoe Callahan - "Revitalizing Pohoiki: A Collaborative Effort of Government Agencies and 'Ohana to Preserve a Historic Fishing Village and Community Stronghold Amid Lava's Reconstruction"

Akshita Siddula - "Cultivating Justice: Urban Farms as Agents of Food and Land Justice in East Baltimore"

Kelly Henderson - "Sparking curiosity and connection among readers in a public green space"

Marina Quierolo - "A market in every neighborhood! Scarborough Fresh Food Pilot: Making real food & economic opportunities available for everyone"

Carla Brisotto- "The Way Resilience Looks: A Collective Approach toward Demonstrative Projects of Resilience"

Speakers

Akshita Siddula

Executive Director, The 6th Branch

Carla Brisotto

assistant director and assistant scholar, University of Florida FIBER

Marina Queirolo

Founder, marketcity TO

Currently, the steward of Market City TO, an emerging initiative supported by the Golden Horse Food and Farming Alliance, is focused on working with and collaborating with market managers, operators and the City of Toronto to strengthen Toronto Public Markets. And build the mid-size... Read More →

Kelly Henderson

Government UX Research Program Specialist, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University

I am a researcher with a background in health psychology and public health who is committed to contributing to work that focuses on social and environmental justice. I enjoy participatory research methods, storytelling, and multidisciplinary collaborations focused on designing human-centered... Read More →

Zoe Callahan

Rural Placemaking Coordinator, County of Hawaii

Zoe is a seasoned professional devoted to community recovery post-crisis. With expertise in program management, mass communication, and community capacity building, she currently serves as the Rural Placemaking Coordinator for the County of Hawai'i Disaster Recovery Division. Zoe... Read More →

Wednesday June 5, 2024 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
MICA - Brown Center, Falvey Hall

Short Talks

12:30pm EDT

Lunch @ MICA (Included)

Enjoy a sandwich lunch at MICA! This meal is covered by the event.

Wednesday June 5, 2024 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
MICA - Brown Center

Break

2:00pm EDT

WORKSHOP: Empowering Placemaking through Restorative Justice: A Community-Driven Framework for Equitable Placekeeping & Municipal Master Planning

In the past years, restorative justice has become a pillar of spatial justice and inclusive urban planning. Yet few practitioners have developed actionable frameworks to integrate its principles into neighborhood placekeeping and planning processes. To address this gap, the Community Health team at Public Works Partners developed a dynamic, and evolving, restorative justice framework for municipal master planning. At the heart of our framework lies the Justice Index, a comprehensive tool co-created with stakeholders deeply affected by historical planning injustices. The Justice Index serves as a multifaceted compass, encapsulating approximately 10 visions articulated as justice statements for a ''just'' city or region. Within the context of placemaking, the Justice Index becomes a transformative guide, providing concrete benchmarks for the development of inclusive and identity-driven public spaces. The visions within the Justice Index encompass not only physical aspects but also social and cultural dimensions, fostering a sense of community and belonging. Throughout our workshop, attendees will gain a deep understanding of the Justice Index's composition and its implementation in placemaking efforts. By examining case studies such as the revitalization of the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center in the North-East section of Portland, Oregon, participants will witness firsthand how the Justice Index can inform and enrich placemaking strategies. Our approach involves hands-on exercises and interactive discussions, allowing attendees to actively engage with the Justice Index and apply its principles to their unique municipal challenges. Through this experiential learning, participants will develop the skills to adapt and integrate the Justice Index into their own placemaking initiatives. Our goal is to empower attendees with actionable insights, leveraging case studies to illustrate the transformative potential of the Justice Index in creating more inclusive, equitable, and culturally resonant urban spaces.

Speakers

Aron Lesser

Manager, Public Works Partners

Melissa Lee

Principal, Public Works Partners

Wednesday June 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 210 (2nd Floor)

Hands-On Workshop

2:00pm EDT

WORKSHOP: From Vacant to Vibrant: How to Create a Pop-Up Community Space

Do you ever walk by a vacant storefront and imagine what you could do with it? Vacant storefronts can often lead to downtowns that are dull, lead to social isolation in communities, and hamper economic development. CultureHouse uses placemaking methodologies to work with communities to transform vacant storefronts into pop-up community spaces that support climate action, neighborhood health, and social justice by bringing people together to determine the future of their neighborhoods. CultureHouse projects result in direct community impacts that influence societal changes. Our projects have created an eight-fold growth in pedestrian traffic on weekends in Kendall Square, a supportive platform for BIPOC creatives in Salem, and a 60% increase in positive perceptions of downtown Peabody. Our work builds crisis resilience by offering places that foster mutual aid, increase livability by creating vibrant centers for public life, and promote equitable development by encouraging individuals to be active participants in reimagining their neighborhood’s future. This session will be an interactive workshop where attendees will go through and engage with our five-step process to create a community pop-up: research, community engagement, design/build, operation, and impact reporting. Attendees will be able to use this format to dive deep into the process, take inspiration from past projects, and be equipped with a quite of tools they can use in their communities.

Speakers

Rishika Dhawan

Community Manager, CultureHouse

Aaron Greiner

Executive Director, CultureHouse

Wednesday June 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 220 (2nd Floor)

Hands-On Workshop

2:00pm EDT

PANEL: Choreographing Better Cities: Dance as a Critical Placemaking Tool

Experiencing live dance creates powerful, embodied moments for learning and reflection, whether that is encountering a performance in public space or engaging in a movement practice. Dance leaders all over the world have been harnessing that power to shape the social and physical character of their cities, attracting and engaging new audiences along the way. After Covid-19 exacerbated funding issues for a field that has been historically neglected, many of these individual artists and companies have been innovating new, nimble models on shoestring budgets that center artist agency, effective community engagement, and broad economic impact. Many have brought their performances and programs out of theaters and directly into nontraditional and unexpected locations, frequently challenging how audiences regard public spaces and the way people move through them. Join Bella Stenvall (dancer and arts and culture researcher at AEA Consulting) and the a range of dance leaders for a discussion about what dance can bring to placemaking. This session will consider questions such as: How can we better embed dance into placemaking conversations? To what capacities are dance organizations currently involved in placemaking across diverse geographies? How are dancers and dance-makers serving as activators, disruptors, enhancers (intentionally or unintentionally) of public spaces? What tools do dance organizations need to expand their mission into placemaking, and what are the benefits? How can cities, planners, and public leaders better advocate for dance as a placemaking tool in their policies?

Speakers

CJay Philip

Artistic Director, Dance & Bmore

Carly Bales

Director, Performer, Cultural producer and Founding Creative Director, LeMondo

Bella Stenvall

Research Analyst, AEA Consulting

A dance-maker turned researcher, Bella is invested in embedding arts and culture into the choreography of public life as a means of social change. She applies an interdisciplinary approach to strategy development, research, and analysis, all while integrating her own experiences as... Read More →

Edwin Wee

Director, Decadance Co Limited

Harrison Guy

Artistic Director, Urban Souls Dance Company

I am Director of Arts & Culture fir the 5th Ward Cultural Arts District. Our district is an African American Cultural Arts District in Houston, Tx. I am also Founder and Artistic Director of Urban Souls Dance Company, a professional modern dance company dedicated to Black stories... Read More →

Wednesday June 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 310 (3rd Floor)

Panel

2:00pm EDT

PANEL: Fostering Community Identity and Driving Inclusive Economic Growth: Nurturing a Distinct Sense of Place Amidst Evolving Infrastructure

Join us for a dynamic panel discussion on Community-Centered Economic Inclusion (CCEI), an innovative framework for inclusive growth developed by the Brookings Institution and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). This transformative approach addresses the challenges faced by communities undergoing significant infrastructure developments, with real-world examples from SE Washington, DC, and South Los Angeles. In Washington, DC, LISC DC is playing a pivotal role in the development of the 11th Street Bridge Park, the city's first elevated park linking Historic Anacostia to the Navy Yard. Through strategic investments and the Equitable Development Plan, LISC DC mitigated gentrification impacts, fostering community buy-in and a lasting commitment to preserving local identity. Learn how this project exemplifies the CCEI framework in action and the power of public-private partnerships in creating equitable public spaces. In South Los Angeles, the CCEI framework manifested in the ongoing work of Destination Crenshaw, a groundbreaking initiative responding to the potential displacement caused by the Crenshaw/LAX airport rail line. Hear details about the largest reparative Black art and economic revival program in the U.S., as Destination Crenshaw builds community spaces, enhances green infrastructure, supports local businesses, generates employment, and commissions over 100 Black artists. This session will feature insights from leaders at LISC, the Brookings Institution, and the work of Destination Crenshaw, offering practical tools and strategies derived from the CCEI framework. Whether you're a community advocate, policymaker, or urban planner, gain valuable knowledge to foster inclusive growth, confront displacement challenges, and nurture a lasting neighborhood identity. Join us in exploring the transformative potential of CCEI in shaping the future of your town or community.

Speakers

Andrea Devening

Senior Program Officer, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

Bryan Franklin

Deputy Director, LISC

Hanna Love

Fello, Brookings Institution

Wednesday June 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
MICA - Brown Center, Lecture Hall (3rd Floor)

Panel

2:00pm EDT

PANEL: New Monuments as Public Art: Exercises in History, Trust and Accountability

Speakers

Christopher Kojzar

Assistant Professor / Artist, University of Vermont

Christopher Kojzar has been awarded residencies nationally and internationally and has received numerous grants collaborating with the strikeWare collective . He co-created two memorials with his mother, Oletha DeVane, and is designing two new public art sites for 2025. He currently... Read More →

Teresa Durkin

Executive Vice President, Trust for the National Mall

Zoe Megins-Davies

Arup

Zoe’s creative background informs a holistic approach to experience-led design of urban interventions. They have worked for arts and urban design organisations in varying roles in the UK and SE Asia. They drive research in the role of cultural policy, equity and inclusion in placemaking... Read More →

Wednesday June 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 320 (3rd Floor)

Panel

2:00pm EDT

PANEL: Planning, Implementing, Maintaining: A Business Improvement District Perspective

Creating a unique and quality experience in the public realm has become an essential economic development tool for commercial corridors and main streets across the country. Quality public spaces and events can attract new audiences downtown, create places that get visitors to stay and shop, and act as a welcoming front door where shoppers engage with local businesses. This session will explore the work of three different downtown organizations, with an examination of the challenges and opportunities they face, and how they are designing, managing, and programming their public realms to engage new audiences and drive foot traffic and sales to local small businesses. Each organization leads placemaking efforts that drive economic development downtown, and is using placemaking to address different challenges: In Downtown Camden, NJ, the Camden Special Services District (CSSD) has developed a placemaking plan to leverage four underutilized corners that create a strong sense of place that can attract office workers, visitors to regional attractions, and residents. In Macon, GA, NewTown Macon continues to focus on programming their unique public spaces (a new plaza on former roadway, a series of green medians) to reach new audiences and drive sales for local businesses. In South Philadelphia, the Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation is working to renovate key public spaces on the corridor to better support a wider range of events, while simultaneously trying new special events to engage more fully with neighbors in the surrounding community and create economic value for the corridor’s businesses. While each of these places have seen their share of success, the work of commercial corridor management never stays static, and this session will be a chance to hear from three different communities in different contexts about how they are using placemaking to increase foot traffic and support small businesses.

Speakers

Benjamin Bryant

Senior Associate, Interface Studio

Alex Balloon

Executive Director, Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation

Emily Hopkins

Vice President of External Affairs, NewTown Macon

Nathaniel Echeverria

Executive Director, Camden Special Services District

Maria Gabriela Gonzalez Rausell

Associate Urban Designer, Interface Studio

Wednesday June 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 420 (4th Floor)

Panel

2:00pm EDT

SHORT TALKS: Creating People-First Streets, Transit & Infrastructure

This Short Talk session will feature presentations that focus on the connection between streets/transportation and placemaking.

Short Talks are moderated lighting round sessions with multiple short presentations, featuring presenters who will be speaking on a related topic. They are a great way to hear a range of cases, geographies, perspectives and sub-topics within one space! Short Talks are also being held in our largest venue, so they are good sessions to be in if you want some space from the crowd.

Presentation titles and speakers:

Sabina Sethi Unni - "School Streets: Strategies for Placemaking for Youth"

Jacque Gonzalez-Garcia - "How Houston’s First Car-Free Street is Here to Stay"

Sam Carter-Shamai - "From Highway to Hybrid Infrastructure: Transforming Public Space Below Toronto's Elevated Expressway"

Oscar Suastegui Quintero - "The approach of placemaking as a public policy in Mexico city"

Derek Moore - "Transit Oriented Placemaking in Central West Baltimore"

Yuxiang Luo - "Highway Cap and Stitch as Opportunity for Equitable Economic Development"

Maura Dwyer - "Designing a creative bus shelter that centers transit user needs while existing as a stand-alone piece of public art"

Jackson Chabot - Moderator

Speakers

Derek Moore

Co-Founder, Friends of the Underground

Derek Moore is a non profit Development worker, Graduate student in City and Regional Planning at Morgan State University, and 1st time home buyer in Central West Baltimore. His work focuses on community and economic development, housing, and transportation issues in Baltimore.

Jacque Gonzalez-Garcia

Planning & Design Manager, Downtown Houston+

Maura Dwyer

Public Art Coordinator, Station North Arts District, a program of Central Baltimore Partnership

Oscar Suastegui Quintero

Deputy Director for On-street Parking, Mobility Ministry of Mexico City

I am a landscape architect with 11 years of experience in public service, private sector and non governmental organizations. I am passionate about mobility, urban planning and public space. During my professional career, I have had the opportunity to coordinate technical and multidisciplinary... Read More →

Sabina Sethi Unni

Schools Planner, Open Plans

Sabina Sethi Unni is an urban planner, organizer, and public artist who works with Open Plans to create joyful spaces for youth. Born and raised in Long Island, she's deeply involved in climate organizing in Nassau, east Queens, and Rockaway.

Sam Carter-Shamai

Manager of Planning, The Bentway

Sam Carter-Shamai is an interdisciplinary planner and designer focused on hybrid infrastructure, affordable housing and inclusive public space. Manager of Planning for the Bentway Conservancy, and board chair of the Neighbourhood Land Trust in Toronto, Sam works toward equitable outcomes... Read More →

Yuxiang Luo

Director, JLP+D

Yuxiang Luo is Director at JLP+D, where he guides urban and economic development strategies for public, private, and non-profit clients across North America. At JLP+D, Yuxiang has worked on projects spanning 20 cities and counting. Yuxiang has presented his work at ULI and the American... Read More →

Jackson Chabot

Director of Advocacy and Organizing, Open Plans

Wednesday June 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
MICA - Brown Center, Falvey Hall

Short Talks

3:15pm EDT

Break

Wednesday June 5, 2024 3:15pm - 3:45pm EDT
Maryland Institute College of Art - Brown Center & Fox Building

Break

3:45pm EDT

WORKSHOP: Empowering Communities: Resident-Driven Creative Placemaking Workshop for Program Design, Management, Partnerships & Funding

This immersive session is designed to provide takeaways to support a hyper-local, community-driven creative placemaking program. Focused on a micro-granting, open-call process, this workshop acknowledges the invaluable role residents play in shaping the place and shows how to put them at the head of the table. Throughout the session, each participant will learn Yellow’s model and begin to layout their custom program tailored to their town/city/neighborhood. Yellow’s expertise will be critical in the classroom; allowing workshop participants to ask the difficult questions and be provided experienced, creative answers/solutions in overcoming the challenges in this work. Partnerships are key in establishing meaningful collaborations. Yellow will teach on pitch decks, mission alignment, and collaboration; where to start and how to prioritize who to bring to the table. Fundraising is often a barrier to community initiatives; this workshop shares invaluable examples of micro-grants, sponsorships, and crowdfunding. Participants will learn match-funding strategies and how to navigate low-barrier funding models as well as be provided real-life examples alongside a resource book to take away. In addressing concerns about equity, attendees will learn community benefits agreements and how to identify gaps in cultural competency by learning real issues around ownership and predatory practices. Yellow will teach how to add more seats to the table and share ways to improve antiquated community engagement processes to be more accessible, creative and well-attended. The outcome: participants will leave with a concrete action plan for implementing creative placemaking initiatives tailored to their community's aspirations. Attendees will gain the confidence and skills necessary to pitch/create a new program or establish/grow an already existing framework for their custom program and leave with take-aways (documents) after a rich, kinesthetic learning opportunity.

Speakers

Kady Yellow

Senior Director of Placemaking and Events, Downton Vision, Inc (Jax's BID)

Kady Yellow's is a true pioneer in the field of placemaking. A visionary leader, her resident-driven model is studied around the world. Yellow's remarkable career spans over a decade; across the United States, as well as international experiences in Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Portugal... Read More →

Wednesday June 5, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 210 (2nd Floor)

Hands-On Workshop

3:45pm EDT

PANEL: Building Toronto Together: Co-Creating Equitable Social Infrastructure in the Inner Suburbs

We will convene three projects in a discussion with Placemaking Canada illustrating how “make due” urbanism and grassroots placemaking build “quick-win” solutions and create positive social impacts like building social capital, deepening community connections, and activating public space in peri-urban areas. Toronto, Canada’s largest cities, is one of the loneliest. The exacerbation of existing socio-economic and systemic challenges contribute to a decrease in support for marginalized communities, and downward trending civic participation. Instead of relying on failing city budgets and services, citizens, designers, and grassroots organizations have stepped up as leaders to support each other with community-centred solutions. These projects showcase how equitable, collaborative and community-led co-creation empowers communities to build their own spaces that support the development of social infrastructure through learning, playing and gathering. Explore three Toronto placemaking projects that decenter the urban core in favour of the periphery and connect underserved communities to accessible and joyful public spaces.

Speakers

Wes Reibeling

Co-Chair/ Manager of Toronto Networks, Janes Walk/ Park People/ Independent

Wesley Lincoln Reibeling (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist, public speaker, and urban professional with a passion for community building, collaborative design, parks, public space, and queer cities. Wesley Reibeling is co-chair of the Jane’s Walk Global Steering Committee... Read More →

Cara Chellew

PhD Student, McGill University

Ima Esin

Cultural Planner, STEPS Public Art

Jaclyn Rodrigues

Senior Manager, Events & Initiatives, Toronto Arts Foundation

Currently working with Toronto Arts Foundation, Jaclyn is an events specialist. A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University, she has worked with The Banff Centre for the Arts, The Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, and Canada's National Ballet School. Jaclyn believes... Read More →

Naziha Nasrin

Program Director, plazaPOPS

Naziha (she/her) is the Program Director of plazaPOPS. She supports plazaPOPS community programming by fostering meaningful relationships with local organizations and developing community partnerships. She is a recent graduate from the Masters of Science in Planning at the University... Read More →

Stephanie Mah

Creative Director, Giaimo

I'm passionate about advocating for more vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable cities. As Creative Director at Toronto-based architecture and conservation firm Giaimo, my current projects and research focus on community placemaking, cultural heritage, and circular design and building... Read More →

Wednesday June 5, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 320 (3rd Floor)

Panel

3:45pm EDT

PANEL: Connecting Communities: The Role of Local Design Centers as Catalysts for Equitable Development

Community-first. Human-centered. Neighborhood-based. Civically-oriented. Equitable and just. These are the ideals of “design centers” all over the country, so it is not surprising when they are often the organizations that are rooted in local placemaking efforts. Design centers can be under local planning departments or integrated into university architecture programs. In many instances, design centers are non-profits that collaborate across sectors to lead research and urban design solutions with their communities. Many design centers’ origins were a response to the civil rights movement, urban renewal and sprawl. In this same vein, they were established to challenge formulaic planning and encourage more public dialogue on design. While design centers exist in many forms, equitable community engagement is their great unifying value. America is a vast country where the unique history, culture, and people in local municipalities will always call for place-based experts on projects. Design centers are trusted partners in local communities who build connections with stakeholders to deeply investigate how built environment changes can serve them. In this panel, attendees will hear stories from leaders of organizations who have been working towards reclaiming public space as a response to poor midcentury planning decisions. The panel will discuss large-scale highway capping concepts, saving pocket parks, coalition building for revitalization, tactical urbanism, and more community-first infrastructure. By learning about how design centers got started and continue to work with communities, the outcome of this talk will inspire other placemaking leaders to engage with national peers to replicate successful work. Even further, these collaborations could help other communities kick-start the implementation of their own design center. Due to the collaborative nature of design centers, this session will be valuable for placemaking professionals across sectors interested in engaging with their community to implement successful projects.

Speakers

Keith Baker

Executive Director, ReConnect Rondo

Jennifer Goold

Executive Director, the Neighborhood Design Center

Jennifer Goold joined the Neighborhood Design Center in 2012 after more than a decade of work in cultural resources management, historic preservation, development and planning. At NDC, she directs all aspects of the center’s operations including staff, programs, outreach, and fundraising... Read More →

Gary Gaston

CEO, Civic Design Center

Gary Gaston is the CEO of the Civic Design Center, which works to advocate for civic design visions and actionable change with communities to improve quality of life for all. He co-authored the book Shaping the Healthy Community, which was published by Vanderbilt University Press... Read More →

Madeleine Spencer

Co-Director, PlacemakingUS

Madeleine Thérèse Spencer is a visionary leader dedicated to community development, placemaking, and the celebration of authentic cultural vibrancy in community. As Co-Director of PlacemakingUS, a pioneering network organization dedicated to transforming the social life of public... Read More →

Tya Winn

Executive Director, Community Design Collaborative of Philadelphia

Trained in architecture, Tya comes to the Collaborative after working for Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, Philadelphia Housing Authority, and Logan CDC. She brings a deep understanding of the Philadelphia design and community development landscape and has a deep commitment to using... Read More →

Wednesday June 5, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 220 (2nd Floor)

Panel

3:45pm EDT

PANEL: Designing Change: Lessons from University-Community Partnerships in Avenue Market Revitalization

Join us as we share the transformative lessons learned during the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) Master of Art Social Design (MASD) program's recent practice-based studio in collaboration with Avenue Market and the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation. This session will focus on the power of university-community partnerships, showcasing how community engagement structures and processes can strengthen development projects. We will explore the application of design methods and tools to drive positive change within communities, emphasizing their instrumental role in the Avenue Market revitalization. Through real-world examples, we will share the value of community feedback, unravel the intricacies of hosting community engagement events that gather feedback effectively, and outline how creating a shared vision helps to reflect the needs, wants, and desires of the Penn Ave/Westside community members.

Speakers

Karim Amin

Executive Director, Voices of 21217

Pickett Slater Harrington

Founder & Managing Principal, Joltage

Pickett Slater Harrington has spent his career igniting social change. He is the founder and managing principal at Joltage, a social change design firm that champions innovative solutions to social challenges by designing, investing and incubating micro ventures- small scale, locally... Read More →

Kadija Hart

Principal, Founder, Quincy Morgan Group

Alice Weston

Founding Partner, Ignite Design Group

I am a social designer and community-building creative. My work and practice combines my past nonprofit professional experience, design education, and my belief in community-led innovation. My design practice puts community first, considers the critical history of each project, and... Read More →

Wednesday June 5, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
MICA - Brown Center, Lecture Hall (3rd Floor)

Panel

3:45pm EDT

PANEL: People and Their Place: Lessons From High and Low-Resource Placemaking Efforts in New York City

With New York City as backdrop, this panel will explore the challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned undertaking bold placemaking efforts within very different contexts: A well-established business improvement district and mixed-income residential neighborhoods. USQ Next is Union Square Partnership’s visionary plan for further transforming the entire district into New York City’s most accessible and inclusive place. Tali Cantor (Director of Planning) will discuss how the organization developed a public realm plan that centers accessibility/equity for a location vital for civic gathering and commerce. Cantor will share the challenge of prioritizing multi-modal accessibility and permanent open space through the conversion of existing street space, and discuss why the Partnership pivoted to a range of lower cost projects, including the annual delivery of volunteer powered asphalt art mural and the development of a model block showcasing streetscape upgrades planned district-wide. Jackson Chabot (Director of Advocacy and Organizing, Open Plans) and Mike Lydon (Co-founder, Street Plans) will discuss bottom-up placemaking initiatives in the Manhattan Valley and Morningside Heights neighborhoods. They will delve into methods for overcoming myriad challenges associated with resident-led placemaking in contexts that lack the organizational resources and political capital found within business improvement districts. One example, Park to Park 103, is a four-year old placemaking initiative that recently transformed a pandemic era Open Street into a two block pedestrian priority corridor, further linking Central Park with Riverside Park via Douglass Houses, a large public housing campus. The second, most recent effort is a streetscape plan for West 111th Street that emerged from an Open Plans and West 111th Street block association-led planning process called Building Blocks. Chabot and Lydon will share results and lessons learned from both initiatives seeking to advance public realm improvements in low or moderate-resource settings.

Speakers

Tali Cantor

Director of Planning, Union Square Partnership

Jackson Chabot

Director of Advocacy and Organizing, Open Plans

Mike Lydon

Principal, Street Plans

Wednesday June 5, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 420 (4th Floor)

Panel

3:45pm EDT

PANEL: Placemaking with Federal Agencies

Placemaking practitioners are always on the hunt for new sources of funding and technical assistance to accomplish their projects. Thankfully, every year, it seems like there are more and more federal programs to help support this locally driven work. In this informative panel discussion, representatives from the National Endowment for the Arts, the US Department of Transportation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will share how these agencies are supporting placemaking in their work, and answer your questions about how you can access their resources and collaborate with them.

Speakers

Katherine Irani

Health Scientist, Center for Disease Control

Jocelyn Jones

Acting Equity Coordinator, Federal Highway Administration, USDOT

Ben Stone

Director of Design & Creative Placemaking, National Endowment of the Arts

Bridget Marquis

Director, Reimagining the Civic Commons

Wednesday June 5, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
MICA - Fox Building, Room 310 (3rd Floor)

Panel

3:45pm EDT

SHORT TALKS: Grantmaking for Placemaking: Supporting Community Projects

This Short Talk session will feature presentations that that focus on funding approaches for placemaking.

Short Talks are moderated lighting round sessions with multiple short presentations, featuring presenters who will be speaking on a related topic. They are a great way to hear a range of cases, geographies, perspectives and sub-topics within one space! Short Talks are also being held in our largest venue, so they are good sessions to be in if you want some space from the crowd.

Presentation titles and speakers:

Aaron Kaufman - "Neighborhood Placemaking: Sharing the Impact of the Community Spruce-Up Grant Program"

Martha Snow - "Investing in local leaders: New models for envisioning public space across NYC’s boroughs"

Shaylee Zaugg - "Snowballing in Sunnyside: A Story of How One Denver Neighborhood uses Micro-Grants for Greater Impact"

Amy Cohen - "How a government bureaucrat co-created a citywide placemaking initiative to save San Francisco - and how it both failed and succeeded"

Sarah Lewitus - "Leveraging arts funding for Creative Placekeeping in Baltimore"

Aisha Glover - "The next chapter of Newark, NJ: how Audible is transforming its headquarters city through investments in public art, storytelling, and local business development"

Bridget Anderson - "Earth, Air, Fire and Water - Reconnecting to Cultural and Environmental Roots"

Speakers

Nate Storring

Co-Executive Director, Project for Public Spaces

Nate Storring is the Co-Executive Director of Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit organization that promotes placemaking around the world through training, events, and on-the-ground projects. As a writer, researcher, curator, and convener, Storring has spent his career documenting... Read More →

Bridget Anderson

Indiana Director, Patronicity

Aaron Kaufman

Director of Community Projects, Central Baltimore Partnership

Aaron builds and manages coalitions of Central Baltimore neighborhood organizations and a wide range of strategic stakeholders (non-profits, governmental agencies, residents, etc), focusing on CBP’s Front and Center Equity Plan, the Greenmount, Life, Opportunities, and Wellness... Read More →

Aisha Glover

Global Head of Urban Innovation, Audible

Aisha Glover joined Audible in 2020 as the Head of Urban Innovation and became Head, Global Center for Urban Innovation in 2023. Aisha has served as President & CEO of Invest Newark under Mayor Ras J. Baraka, as President & CEO of the Newark Alliance and as VP of External Affairs... Read More →

Amy Cohen

Business Generation Manager, Port of San Francisco

Amy Cohen is Business Generation Manager at the Port of San Francisco. For 15+ years Amy worked in multiple roles at the SF Office of Economic and Workforce Development, where most recently she was the Director of Public Space Regeneration. Amy is an experienced urban strategist... Read More →

Martha Snow

Director of Community Design, Urban Design Forum

Martha Snow leads Urban Design Forum’s initiative the Local Center to equip community-based organizations to lead public space design and planning projects in their neighborhoods. Martha brings a decade of experience in community-led design and experiential learning through the... Read More →

Sarah Lewitus

Program Director, Performing Arts & Accessibility, Mid Atlantic Arts

Sarah Lewitus (she/her) is a Baltimore-based arts worker interested in performance, space, and turning imagination into action. She works as Program Director, Performing Arts and Accessibility Coordinator at Mid Atlantic Arts. Prior, Sarah was an Associate Curator at Dance Place in... Read More →

Shaylee Zaugg

Program Manager, City & County of Denver, Department of Transportation & Infrastructure

Wednesday June 5, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
MICA - Brown Center, Falvey Hall

Short Talks

5:30pm EDT

SOCIAL EVENT: Bromo Block Party!

From MICA's Brown Center, we recommend taking the Light Rail from the Mt Royal stop to the Mt Vernon stop, or walk (20 min) south down Park Ave, towards the 400 block of Howard Street.

Recommended walking routes for after the party back to the hotels, are also below.

"One Block at a Time"

This year's opening event will be hosted on the 400 Block of Howard Street in the heart of the Bromo Arts District in downtown Baltimore, creating a “block party” style experience. This indoor / outdoor experience will be anchored at art venues Le Mondo and Current Space. Enjoy local music performances in both venues, and Mayor Brandon M. Scott will welcome participants at 6pm at Le Mondo. A drink and light snacks will be available to participants at both venues for a limited time, and then drinks are available for purchase for the rest of the evening.

The block, which was once a thriving retail and entertainment center of Baltimore, has undergone a recent transformation. It exemplifies what is possible when artists, small businesses, city agencies, and residents come together for a common goal of creating a thriving corridor to work, live and play. Throughout the evening, event attendees will experience firsthand how placemaking continues to play a part in the block transformation while getting a chance to network and enjoy local entertainment and creativity.

As part of the event we will integrate a select group of small business storefronts on Howard Street including Vegan Juiceology, Cajou Plant Based Creamery & Cafe, Cuples Tea House, and independent book & record store Vinyl & Pages. All of the selected businesses play a critical role in the vibrancy of the block.

Recommended walking routes back to local hotels, as there will be extra street support out onsite for this evening:

Walking route back to Lord Baltimore

Walking route back to Hotel Ulysses

Walking route back to Hotel Revival

Wednesday June 5, 2024 5:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
400 Block of N. Howard Street

Party

8:00am EDT

Head off to Mobile Workshops

You'll receive an email from us a week before the conference, that will share your mobile workshop details and directions on how to get there.

Participants attending mobile workshops will find their way to their mobile workshop location during this time period. Each workshop is different in terms of how you need to get there, and instructions/directions on finding your way to the site will be emailed to you before the conference.

For most workshops, attendees will find their way to the site via foot, public transit or rideshare, depending on your preference. A handful of workshops (#3, 5, 8, 11, 12) have buses and there will be a bus meeting point you need to get to by 8:15am. For those participants who are local, we will share parking information for workshops where available and applicable.

Thursday June 6, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am EDT

Mobile Workshop